24 August 2011- Paris!

Bonjour ma cherie!

This morning, we left London and caught the train to St Pancras station, before hopping on the Eurostar for a speedy ride to Paris. As we were figuring how to get through customs, we happened upon Miss Neurologist who was catching the 11 am to Brussels. We were super glad to see her and took some photos to mark the occasion.

The train ride there was incredibly fast. I honestly don’t think I’ve ever been on such a fast train before. It took just two hours, and we bought some train food (watery cheeseburger and salt and vinegar chips), just so we could say “we bought Eurostar food and ate it”. When we got off the train, Miss EBae called me from a payphone because her credit had run out and surprised us with her announcement that she had come to greet us. Lo and behold, there, at the end of platforms 3 and 4, stood Miss Ebae all decked out in her denim mini, giant new SLR camera and pink top. She had bought some macarons for me as a belated birthday gift and after we returned to our hotel room, we ate four of them. So yummy!

[Reunited!]

Afterwards, we took a stroll down Montmartre to the Opera House- what a beautiful, opulent building, with incredible architecture. You don’t see buildings like these in Sydney that’s for sure. While Miss EBae dropped into an Apple store to check her emails (hey, when you’re travelling, you sap every free wifi resource you can), Man from Mars and I bought some parfum at Fragonard. We also passed a police car being towed away. Can police men book themselves for an illegal park??

[Police car gets towed- slam!]

Our walking tour then took on a foodie slant, as we visited macaroon stores, a mustard and condiments store (Maille) and Fauchon, a famous foodie’s heaven complete with a bikini clad mannequin in the front window to attract suitably hungry passersby.

We saw the Magdelenae Cathedral, before wandering down to Place de la Concorde to admire the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, an ornate fountain and an Egyptian monument ( I can’t remember its name!).

[Magdelene Cathedral:]

[Eiffel Tower:]

[Just hanging out in Paris:]

[Man from Mars and Miss Ebae, the master navigators:]

[Beautiful fountains- Anne Hathaway chucks her mobile into this fountain in The Devil Wears Prada:]

[The Egyptian statue that Napoleon stole from the Egyptians:]

[Arc de Triomphe taken with my 15x zoom camera from really far away:]

It was an idyllic afternoon- there are so many things to see around Paris. The weather was perfect, the stores are beautiful. The people are proud of their city while the subway is a mixed experience. Parisians are a little pushy, but they smile when you smile and are kind, although not inherently “laid back” in the same way that Aussies come across. Times like today make me wish I could speak fluent French, because I’d love to know what the lady on the train was reading- a novel full of French and pictures. Probably some raunchy Mills and Boon translated- it is the city of love, after all.

By night, we caught up with Miss Boulangerie, and we had a real deal French meal with an emphasis on fromage, tripe and roast duck. Mon dieu, what a full day- and more to come tomorrow. Gros bisous til then mon amies!

[Miss Boulangerie and Man from Mars!]